Consistently underexposing?

[epoh]

So, I've got a Canon 20D that I've had for years now, and it's never let me down yet. But I've noticed lately my camera has been consistently underexposing images over the past several months. I can adjust and force it to overexpose by half a stop or even a full stop, but I am concerned this is a sign something's failing within the camera. Anyone have any experience with this? (Or want to donate any money to my new camera fund? lol)

[toverman]

I have a 20D that I still use sometimes that hasn't produced this problem, at least that I've noticed. I googled "20D started underexposing images," and at least the first several were about slight underexposure being immediately common in some of the bodies.

[epoh]

Yes, it's always underexposed by a tiny bit, but it's more pronounced now. The degradation is what concerns me.

[toverman]

Stop taking photos the dark!

[epoh]

LoL. Yes Sir!

[The Loft Studios]

If you haven't already, make sure that you double check your Metering Mode to make sure that it's NOT on Spot Metering. Most of the time, Spot Metering Mode is for metering specific areas of a Scene and is not an overall general Metering Mode that you want to be using. Start it off in Evaluative Mode, this should work the best for general overall exposures. Second, check your Exposure Compensation. Make sure that it's nulled out to -0-. Then do a test to where you do several exposures starting from -2 and go all the way to +2. Make a note that your exposures are changing each time that you change your Exposure Compensation. If none of these work, then go into your Camera's Menu and CLEAR all of the Camera Settings as well as any Custom Function Settings that you may have. And then try Steps 1 and 2 again.....

Hope this helps!

[toverman]

Does the 20D even have spot-metering mode?

[epoh]

Hehe, no, it does not. Thank you though, Mark. The exposures change as expected when you adjust the exposure settings, they are all just about half a stop under exposed. It's pretty consistent. Originally when I first got it it was maybe a 1/4th of a stop underexposed, if that.